


Clarity

by Luigigirl16



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Black Arms Invasion, Loopholes, M/M, Mentions of songs, Royal Marriage, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:15:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23153101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luigigirl16/pseuds/Luigigirl16
Summary: All laws have loopholes. And some loopholes are never meant to be exploited. But what happens when a certain loophole is needed to be used in order to save the entire world of Mobius? And what does Knuckles have to do with this?
Relationships: Knuckles the Echidna/Rouge the Bat, Sally Acorn/Monkey Khan, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 20
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

There are always rules to follow, whether it'd be raising your hand to ask a question or laws against murder. Rules keep things in balance, keep lives safe and people In line. However, there are always loopholes. And some loopholes can be used for the greater good.

~~~~

"I see you actually came." The younger of the two lightly scoffed, "considering that you demanded me and held a hostage just to get my attention, there was not much I could do as it sits." The large alien lightly smirked, "seems as if you do have a soft spot for the hedgehog."

The black and red striped hedgehog lightly growled, "it is not my concern of what you do to him. It is my concern over the fact that you where able to capture him in the first place. Now, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

The alien scoffed, "always searching for answers. Very well," he waved to one of his servants, "I am planning on declaring war with Mobius. I believed it would be a kind gesture to let you know in advance so you can decide who's side you are on." The servant left, the reappeared only seconds later with an unconscious being wrapped up in a dark grey blanket in his arms. The bio-hog lightly growled, "and who's side do you think I'm on?"

The leader seemed to think for a second, "I am unsure. That is why I am giving you time to decide. You are already the heir to my throne, I thought that you would rather be with your people than against them. However, it is your choice, and I cannot hold anything against you if you chose to side with the Mobiuns." The servant walked up to the bio-hog, then dropped the unconscious being at his feet. This earned a sharp glare and low growl, "and why is that?"

He could feel the alien smirk, "my forces are stronger that your bravest hero and capturing him is proof of this. You can try and find a way to help them, but I assure you, it is futile." The other lightly scoffed then knelt down and grasped a part of the blanket. He heard the being lightly groan, then he pulled the blanket back. He froze, "what did you do to him?"

The alien lightly chuckled, "didn't you say that you didn't care what I did to him? I knew that you would want him alive, however, I believed that you wouldn't care for any bodily damage done to him." That earned a low growl directly towards the alien, however, the unconscious being lightly shifted at the sound. The bio-hog sighed, "alright. How much time do I have?" "Three months."

"Mobius or yours?" "Mobius." "So that means nine weeks before I have to decide?" "yes. It's best you use your time wisely." The bio-hog nodded, then carefully picked up the being, being s careful as he could. He turned around but stopped, "why him?" The alien gave a sound of slight confusion. "Out of the whole world, everyone I've ever made contact with, why did you chose Faker?" The being lightly scoffed "don't think I do not see how you two react to each other. I knew that capturing him would be my best bet at getting you to come here."

The bio-hog sighed but nodded and chaos controlled the two away from the space armada, reappearing in the blue one's house. The kitsune lightly jumped but instantly began looking over his brother while the bio-hog teleported back to the armada, but instead in the library section. He quickly found the books and declarations he needed, then teleported back to his own home.

In three months, the Black Arms will invade for a second time and Shadow may be the only person able to stop them. If he could find a loophole at least.

* * *

One week went by before the bio-hog caved and returned back to the kitsune's house. He had a large duffel bag over his shoulder, lightly shifting as he knocked on the door. It was answered only seconds later by the owner of the house, a medium sized bowl in his hands. The two where each confused by the appearance of the other, however, the fox kit's ear flickered to a noise rom the second floor. "Come on in, I'll be down in a sec."

He left the door open, rushing up the stairs while trying not to spill the contents of the bowl. The bio-hog watched in confusion as the kitsune left, but entered either way. He slipped his shoes off as he closed the door, placing his shoes in the small compartment area beside the door. he spotted two different pairs in, a pair of red and orange and a pair of red with a white strap and gold buckle. The other pair looked like they haven't been used in a few days.

He went and sat on the couch, placing down his duffle bag. He quickly searched through it, then sighed in relief as he had everything he needed in it. the kitsune came back down only a few minutes later, rolling his eyes at what had just transpired. He sighed but perked up as his baby blues spotted the red and black hedgehog on his couch, "what brings you here Shadow?"

A black ear flicked at the question and the other looked back to see the kitsune, "is it possible for me to talk to Faker right now?" The other seemed confused, "why's that? Usually you never want to speak with him?" The bio-hog lightly sighed, "he's the only diplomatic person I know and I need his help right now."

The kitsune nodded, "well. Right now's not the best time, he's still recovering." The black hedgehog seemed to snap at the response, having lost two days of sleep searching through files. "I know that but this is important. The Black Arms are planning another invasion in around three months and I need his help to find a loophole in their system in order to help save this damn planet!"

The kitsune jumped, "o-o-oh. You um h-his door is the second on the right." The hedgehog took a breath, nodded, then stood up and grabbed his bag. He then headed up the stairs, stopping when he reached said door. His ears twitched at a harsh cough from the other side of the door, causing him to be hesitant. _The fox did say he was still recovering, but how long does it take before he's better?_

He sighed and knocked on the door, hearing a low grown and a quiet 'come in.' He opened the door to darkness, almost complete. The only light in the room came from the blinds of the window, seeing as how they where semi translucent blackout curtains. A small bed was on the other side of the room, a small nightstand and lamp right beside it. Beside the door stood a dresser with five drawers. The room had no closet, seeing as how all of his clothes fit into the dresser. Black ears flickered at the sound of a sneeze.

The only other being in the room currently resided in the bed, snuggled under the blankets in a ball, trying to keep warm. The bio-hog sighed, "Faker?" The other lightly shifted and red eyes spotted one emerald eye above the blanket, "hey Shads." The other scoffed at the nickname, "I need to speak with you." The younger of the two nodded, "figures." He reached over and switched the small lamp on, lightly wincing at the light. He then carefully sat up, letting the blanket fall the only cover everything below his waist.

He gave the other a light smile, his eyes half closed as he fought to focus. His quills where in disarray, his face pale while his eyes still held a small spark. The bio-hog, however, was frozen. Red eyes couldn't look away, even when he tried. Something seemed to keep his eyes on the blue hedgie, something he couldn't explain, nor could he understand. It was how the light reflected off the other, the spark in his eyes, the soft smile and how he looked carefree. He just stared in awe and something else.

The younger became confused as the older just stared at him, "Shadow? What is it that you want to talk about?" That snapped the older out of his stupor, "the Black Arms are planning on another invasion and I need to speak with you about finding a loophole in their declaration of war." The younger looked stunned, blinking multiple times with a face of confusion and puzzlement. He rubbed his eyes, "let me get this straight."

He crossed his legs and patted the spot in front of him, "the Black Arms are wanting to invade again." The other nodded as he took the spot given to him, "yes." "And you want my help to try and find a loophole in their declaration of war?" Another nod, "yes. I already have some of their old declarations and the rules that follow with them."

He then started to take multiple papers and scrolls out of his duffle bag, however, the other was still confused. "Why me?" The older froze and looked at the younger, "what do you mean?" The blue one sighed, "why did you chose me to help you with this?" The other was then confused. Why did he chose the faker out of everyone else?

"You seemed like the only one that has more knowledge dealing with diplomatic affiliations. We only have three months and I hate to admit this but I need help with this." This confused and yet intrigued the younger of the two, however, he stayed quiet in order for the other to continue explaining. "I have little to no knowledge of diplomatic affairs and since you have a history with a royal family, it seemed only logical that you would have the most knowledge dealing with diplomatic affiliations." That earned a glare, "just because I dated a princess does not mean I have knowledge on diplomatic affairs." Crimson eyes showed a hint of confusion, "so you have no knowledge?" "No."

He snorted, but held a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. He took a second, then looked back to the other, "then how do you know of such affairs?" The other froze and looked away, "I don't want to talk about it." The bio-hog could tell it was a sensitive topic, and decided to leave it alone. He continued to pull out the papers he gathered, "they may not be in a language you know. If not, I can read it aloud for you." The younger nodded and grabbed a random slip of paper, his eyes glued to it the instant he started reading.

"You said we have three months, right?" The older nodded, "yeah. He told me when I went to get you back." The younger lightly smiled, "thanks for that, by the way. I wasn't sure if I would make it out alive to be honest." This caught the others interest, "how come?"

He watched as the other lightly shivered and lightly rubbed his arms as he looked away, "I don't want to talk about it." it was now that he realized the other was fully clothed, a long sleeved shirt on, his usual gloves and a pair of pajama paints could barely be seen from under the blanket. The other became worried, but tried his hardest not to show it. However, it continued to bug him at the back of his mind. And seeing how the other had a slight twitch whenever Shadow himself moved to flip a page further increased his worry. He sighed, "I know you don't want to talk about it but please tell me at least one thing they did to you."

The other shivered, "they have a harsh and unique way of t-t. T-torturing people." He held himself and tried to calm himself down, however, his hands still shook as he continued to read. "So their monarchy is like ours? The king can declare war but only on a another country, or race in this case, if the other is not connected to their own?"

The older of the two nodded, "yeah. So?" The younger perked up at this, "all we need to do is combine our monarch with yours." Crimson eyes widened as he stared at the younger, "you must be kidding me?" The younger shook his head but confusion etched into his eyes, "why?"

Shadow groaned, "that means that I might have to get married." Realization quickly filled emerald eyes and he started skimming through the other papers and scrolls, his breathing quickening as he reached the last piece of parchment. His head fell as he dropped the parchment.

...

...

...

"Fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is taking place in my own little alternate reality. In this reality, Sonic Underground, STH, Sonic X and a few of the games are included but in a different variation to what we've seen. In this case the Shadow the Hedgehog game is included and it actually happened on Mobius instead of Earth. Thought it would be best to clear that up before I add anymore chapters and things get confusing between timelines.


	2. How hard could it be?

"What do you mean by that?" Shadow could tell that the other was hiding something, something important. The other seemed to shrink under Shadow's gaze, lightly wincing and pinning his ears down. "W-well. It's just um."

He took a breath and sat up, "we only have three monarchy's left; the Acorn kingdom with Princess Sally, a kingdom that I have no idea of with Prince Khan, and the kingdom of Mobotropolis with Prince Manic, Princess Sonia and a missing prince. Sally is already married to Khan, Sonia is engaged and Manic is already taken as well. The only person left is the missing prince, seeing as how no one knows where he is and the fact that he is actually next inline for the throne."

Shadow nodded, "isn't Mobotropolis the top kingdom? The one the other two have to go to before they can decide on anything that could change the planet?" The younger of the two nodded, "yeah. Queen Aleena, however, has yet to find her missing son and you probably aren't into guys to begin with." The older lightly scoffed, "you really don't know me then Faker."

This earned a confused look from the younger, "so you're bi? Because you definitely don't come off as gay. Though, I will admit, you do seem more like a dom than a sub." That earned a intrigued look from the older, "oh?"

The older smirked and crossed his arms, "and how would you know of such words as 'bisexual', 'dominant' and 'submissive' if you are straight?" That earned a dark blush from pale cheeks, "I never said I was straight." The smirk grew as he leaned back, "so you yourself fall under the rainbow flag?" The other became even more flustered, stuttering as he tried to explain himself. When he finally gave up, he grabbed his pillow and hid his face in it, screaming into the pillow.

The other lightly chuckled, "never expected that from you of all people hedgehog." The other lightly growled, "shut it." He pulled his face from the pillow, "anyways. We need to figure this stuff out. Maybe we can find another loophole where you don't have to get married." The older sighed but nodded and the two continued searching through the different files Shadow had borrowed from Black Arms' library.

Hours went by before the kitsune went up to check on the two, having heard nothing from the room. it was almost midnight and he knew the blue hedgie hadn't taken his medicine yet. He headed up the stairs, but hesitated to knock. Instead, he placed an orange ear up to the door, trying to hear anything. He only heard two different breaths and the crinkling of paper. He gave two, very quiet knocks, then entered after a few seconds.

The two hedgehog's where still on the bed, one leaning on the other. The two had switched their sitting position to sit right beside each other when Sonic had started reading some of the files in the Black Arms language, allowing Shadow to read it to him. However, it seemed as if the blue hedgie passed out leaning against him. Shadow was still looking through between files, seeming to not mind the other asleep against him.

A black ear flicked at the sound of the kitsune stepping into the room, and the older looked up at him. Tails just gave him a small wave, "you can move him i-if you want. Once he's out, especially with him being like this, it'll be hard to wake him." Shadow only scoffed and looked back at the papers, "it doesn't bother me that he fell asleep. With what little knowledge I have on what the guards did to him, I can only assume that it was taxing on his body and he needs as much rest as possible."

The kitsune nodded, "okay. I need to give him his medicine anyways." He then reached into the small pack he had on him and pulled out a needle, with a blue liquid. "could you hold him still? He doesn't like needles and tries to steer clear of them any way he can." Even though he was confused on such a task, Shadow still did as asked.

He placed down the documents in hand and, hesitatingly, wrapped his arms around the blue hedgie beside him, leaving one arm for the kitsune. Tails walked up to the two and lightly grabbed the given arm, turning it to show the vein he needed, he held the vein between his index finger and thumb. Then, slowly and carefully, he slipped the needle into the vein and pushed the plunger. Once the needle touched peach skin, however, the sleeping hedgie started shifting, trying to get the foreign object away from his skin. Shadow tightened his grip.

 _He's stronger than I thought_ , Shadow concluded. He pulled the other close and layed his head on the others, feeling a blue ear flicker near his chest, right above his heart. Slowly, the two watched as he calmed down and relaxed against the black and white furred chest, the heartbeat lulling him back to a peaceful sleep. Once the vial was empty, the kitsune pulled the needle out and replaced it with a simple band aid. He gave the other a simple thumbs up and then left, "good luck in finding whatever it is your looking for."

The black hedgie heard him leave, heard the click of the door being closed but he couldn't look away from the being in his arms. Fascinated, never had he thought that just a simple sound could relax the other. Shadow couldn't understand how his heartbeat, a simple thump in his chest, could calm down the speed demon. Every time he's seen the blue hedgie asleep, the only sound to be heard was simple background noise; kids screaming and laughing at the park, horns honking and busy sidewalks when he sleeps on the ledges of buildings, the sound of waves crashing on the beach, and the sounds of the birds and animals in the forest. How could such a simple sound calm a chaotic entity?

Unless, it was a sound he finds comfort in. Before he could dive deeper into his rabbit hole of ideas, the other shifted in his arms, pulling the blanket tighter around himself and pulling his free arm into the bundle. having been created by and raised around human, the Mobiun culture fascinated him. And it was just the simple things that did the trick. So when the blue hedgie started to purr, he was caught in wonder and awe.

A small smile grazed tan lips as he tightened his hold and went back to reading, knowing full well that he needs to find another loophole. Especially if his feelings begin to break through the wall he made.

* * *

It was only hours later that the blue hedgie awoke, feeling much better than he had in the past week. He looked around, confused on where the other went to. The last thing he remembered was having Shadow read him some of the Black Arms text that he couldn't.

He looked around, spotting the other at the foot of his bed, leaning against the wall in a slouch position. Slowly the blue hedgie sat up and crawled over to him, trying not to put pressure on any of the pages to make a noise. Once close enough, he noticed that red rubies where hidden behind charcoal colored eyelids. Carefully, he waved on of his own hands in front to see if he was actually asleep. The only response he got was the slow, methodical breathing from the black hedgie. 

Blue ears perked up at this, then looked at the pages in the others hands. He carefully pulled them out and looked them over, seeing that it's actually the real deceleration of war designated to happen in three months. _He must have went back to ask something dealing with this, or Doom asked him to bring this with him for some reason._ He read over it, then pulled one of the other declarations close to this time and started comparing them.

Once done, he sighed and looked over at his communicator on the bedside table behind the lamp. He gave a hesitant look, I was hoping to never have to do this but. He sighed and reached over to grab it, He strapped it to his arm and started picking up the pages and documents, Placing them back in the duffel bag that was discarded sometime in the night. Once done, he placed the bag down, then looked at the other hedgie.

He could tell that Shadow was tired, especially with how he hadn't moved the entire time the other was shuffling around to get the papers. Sonic took a breath, then tried to pull the other into a sleeping position. Easier said than done.

Since the other was a genetic experiment, it only made sense that he would be heavier than a normal hedgehog. But Sonic, being as stubborn as he was, tried his hardest to move the other. Once he moved the other halfway up the bed, he finally gave up. As carefully as he could, he picked up the onyx hedgie's head and slipped his own pillow underneath. He then went to his dresser, opened the second drawer and pulled out a blanket and pulled it over the other. He then grabbed a change of clothes and wrote a note for the sleeping hedgie, not really knowing when he would be back.

He placed the note beside the lamp, left to get the deceleration copied then slipped the original in the bag with the rest. He sighed once that was done, leaving the room as quiet as possible. After a quick shower and redressing the wounds he had, the blue hedgie then headed down to the garage turned lab. There he found his twin-tailed brother asleep on his desk. It was then that he realized what time it was, 4:30 am.

After righting another note, this one to Tails, he moved the kitsune to the small cot in the room for when he would pass out like this. He then grabbed the keys to his original bi-plane and left the two. Once the place was up in the air, he set it on autopilot and started looking through his contacts on his communicator. He lightly smiled when he found the right one, pressing it and hoping the phone would be answered.

 _"What the hell man? It's 4 in the morning."_ "Good to here you too, Manic." _"Wait? Sonic?!"_ He could tell the other was ready to ask questions but he stopped him before he could, "I'll explain when I get there but right now, I need your help." _"What is it?"_

* * *

The dark hedgehog awoke early in the afternoon, not really sure how he ended up in the middle of the blue hedgie's bed with one of his blankets on him and pillow under his head. Until he spotted the note.

He sat up and grabbed the note, turning on the lamp. He unfolded the paper and began to read the note left for him.

_Shadow, I know you might hate it but you looked uncomfortable in how you were sleeping so I tried to move you. Key word: tried._

_Anyways, I copied the deceleration you brought back and I won't be back for a while. When I do get back, however, I have something to tell you. And please. for the love of chaos, do not kill me when I tell you this._

_Hope you had a good nap._

_Faker_

He couldn't help but smirk at how the other signed the note but he was confused. Where did he go and why did he copy the deceleration when Shadow had to take it to Queen Aleena the first chance he got. A.K.A as soon as possible. 

It was only when there was a knock at the door that he was brought back to reality. The door opened to show the twin-tailed kitsune, looking as if he just woke up not long ago. The kitsune lightly smiled at the other, "I see you haven't left yet. Ya want something to eat or coffee?"

"Just coffee will do." The kitsune nodded and headed down the stairs, leaving the black hedgie confused as heck. Is this supposed to be normal? After a minute or two, he decided to get up and head down stairs as well.

The kitsune was heating up leftover pancakes, the coffee machine on and running. Shadow peaked into the kitchen, seeing the kitsune at the table and reading a note. With his eyesight, Shadow was able to see that the calligraphy was the same as the note he had. Meaning that both notes where from Sonic.

"Do you know where he went to?" The kitsune perked up and looked behind to see Shadow entering the room, "no. Not really, he was vague in the note he gave me." Shadow sighed, "mine as well." He placed hi note down for the kit to read, The kit, in return, gave him his own note.

_Tails, I'll be gone for a bit. I took my bi-plane since you're still working on the Twin Tornado. Try not to blow up the lab and I need you to contact our friends. There's something important I need to tell them but we'll have to go to Mobotropolis, so tell them that we're going on a trip and to pack for a week._

_Make sure the girls don't pack their entire house (nor half of it), and make sure you eat once you wake up. You know how I hate when you skip meal because you work in the lab while I'm gone. Stay safe and I'll contact you when I can._

_Love,_   
_Your big bro._

_P.S. Shadow's asleep in my room, let him sleep in. He's got enough to deal with as it is and not getting enough sleep will only make him more grouchy._

The black hedgie lightly scoffed at how the letter ended, _as if I need a decent amount of sleep. I'm the Ultimate Lifeform, sleep is for the weak_. He then saw the P.P.S

_Just because he's the 'Ultimate Lifeform' does not mean that he isn't living. Trust me, he'll need a good rest with the revelation that's about to happen. Also, try to get in touch with the rest of the Resistance._

_They'll want to see the news in about three days._

Now, the black hedgie was confused, what could Faker be planning? He perked up when a cup of freshly brewed coffee was placed in front of him. He placed the note down and grabbed the cup, carefully sipping it. The beverage warmed him up and awoke his senses. "Do you atleast know what he was talking about with the last part of the note?"

The kitsune nodded as he sat down, "yeah. And knowing Sonic, he's talking about 'our' band of the Resistance." Shadow placed his cup down, "I've been hearing about this 'Resistance' but I have little knowledge of it. Care to explain."

Tails lightly sighed as he held his own cup of freshly made tea, "you know of the Robotnik era? Where Robotnik actually took over a whole kingdom and part of a neighboring one?" The dark hedgie nodded, "I've looked over it. There was supposed to be some big revelation of sorts dealing with the queen being united with her children but it failed and the eldest disappeared. Robotnik was dealt with and Sonic ended out being chased by the fat man."

Tails nodded, "that's a rated PG version it. The Robotnik era started when Julien Robotnik learned of a premonition where he would be taken down by the queen and her children. So, he decided to change it and started talking control of the kingdom by sending hs robots to do his bidding. The family was split, queen went into hiding, and the children being separated. As far as I know, the eldest was sent to live with some farmers, the only girl was given to a wealthy family and the other boy was raised as a street rat.

"After about five years, the triplets where reunited and started fighting against Robotnik. A year later, however, something happened, the main base for Robotnik was destroyed and the oldest went missing. A year later started the Resistance era, lead by Princess Sally Acorn of the Acorn kingdom. This was when Sonic met me and Knuckles, I think. Knuckles and Sonic don't really talk about how they first met, but I remember that Knuckles sucker punched Sonic and knocked him out for two hours. That was when Sally and Rotor, designated engineer and scientist, stopped him.

"After that, three years went by and Sonic finally destroyed the second Robotnik base. This, in turn, destroyed most of Robotnik's other facilities. Slowly, the planet took back the area and the metal used to terraform the terrain was melted and made into a statue for the fallen and roboticized freedom fighters. That ended the Robotnik era and started the era we're still in, the Eggman era. He appeared a year or two after but we've been taking care of him since.

"Sally and her subjects when back to the Acorn kingdom while the Freedom Fighters was disbanded. We still try to keep in contact, though." the onyx hedgehog allowed all of this information to sink in, _wow. And I thought my life was bad. But there's something that doesn't it make sense._

"When I asked Faker once the age he started fighting, he said he was five. And then he asked if I ment Robotnik or Eggman." That's when the kitsune seized up, Shadow caught it. He found the issue that Sonic never cleared up. A notification from the kitsune's communicator caught the two off guard.

He checked to see that it was a text from the blue hedgie in question. 'Turn on the news.' This confused the kitsune but he did as asked. He headed to the living room and grabbed the tv remote, turning it on to the channel they always watch when dealing with the world.

_ "Today, Queen Aleena has just announced that the long lost prince has finally returned home. She says that later this week, a grand party will be thrown for his return. All are welcomed to join as it will last all weekend, including the best amusement park rides from the best traveling fairs from around the world as well as the largest parade in history. Stay tuned as we uncover the story behind the news and y=uncover the identity of the 15 year missing prince of Mobotropolis." _

He muted it and looked back at the message, seeing a new one underneath. 'Please don't hate me but it had to be done. At least now you get to know who I was before I met you.' The black hedgie was also shocked, as well as most of the team Sonic had created over the years. No one had expected the prince to appear, half of the world believed him to be dead and gone. The other half believed him to be hiding because of the issue with Robotnik and Eggman. There was also a small group that believed that the prince himself was a hero in disguise, seeing as how the prince disappeared and the 'hero of Mobius' appeared.

The two shared a look, confusion in ruby red while baby blue held worry. _This is to convenient_ , Shadow thought. _And I know damn well that Faker has something to do with this._


	3. Battleborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time I swore I had a heart  
> Long before the world I know tore it all apart  
> Once upon a time there was a part of me I shared  
> Years before they took away the part of me that cared  
> Once upon a time I had an open point of view  
> That was just so long ago before I had a clue  
> Was there such a time where I didn't stand alone?  
> Was there ever a time, and how would I have known?  
> Battleborn-FFDP

The kitsune did as asked, letting his friends know of the upcoming trip to the kingdom, and also getting in contact with the original team of the Resistance. He also packed stuff for himself and the essentials for Sonic that he knows the other forgot to get before he left. Once done, he checked up on the rest of the team. Rouge and Amy agreed to go and packed a small (3-5) batch of bags each, Cream and Vanilla going shopping for such an occasion, the Chaotix each reacting differently and Knuckles. Let's just say he was cursing worse than a sailor, threatening to turn the sailor beat red instead.

Shadow was more or less interested on tying together the loose threads left in the story the fox gave him, the tale Rouge told and what little Faker let slip. As far as he knew, there where only a few certainties:

  1. Faker and the prince have some sort of correlation with how one disappears and the other appears out of thin air.
  2. The story he had of Faker matches the stories he's heard of the prince and
  3. The only reasonable reason the prince finally returned was because he knew of the incoming Black Arms invasion and knows of the only loophole Faker and him have found. Which brings us back to Number 1.



The agent sighed as he looked over the facts, checking and rechecking everything to make sure that it was true. But no matter how he crunched the numbers, it still equals one thing. Faker either knows the Lost Prince or is the lost prince himself. 

He sighed and headed home, dropping the duffel bag by the door and heading to his room. Earlier, Tails had told him what the blue hedgie had texted him, then rushed to contact the others. Shadow knows that he'll also have to pack a bag for the week, especially with how Rouge will drag him whether he wants to go or not.

So, he grabbed an extra duffel bag, his G.U.N bag and started packing extra socks and gloves, along with a few books and a gun or two. However, his mind was on something else. He wondered why the hero himself would copy the declaration, then disappear to who know where. And the prince suddenly 'appearing' out of nowhere is a big question he wanted answered. And he always gets the answers he wants.

Once done, he placed the duffel bag beside the other and plopped onto his couch, looking through his contacts on his communicator. Once he found the contact he wanted, he pressed the dial button and put in his ear piece connected to the device.

" _Yellow?_ " "Faker." He heard the other wince, _"h-hey Shadow. What's up?"_ The black hedgie gave a deadpanned look, "where are you?" _"Just on a run."_ "Really? Then how come the communicator shows that your in Mobotropolis right now. More specifically, in the castle."

He heard the other take a sharp breath, then sighed. _"I'm at the castle, but why's it matter to you?"_ Shadow sighed, "I don't know. Let's see, you learn of the upcoming invasion, copy the declaration itself, disappear and then the 'missing prince' is suddenly found. You should know better hedgehog that the pieces fit too perfect for this to be random happenstance."

He could tell the other felt trapped, especially when the other gave a defeated sigh. " _I. I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Shadow. I just didn't know what you would say or if you'd believe me."_ " "I want answers, Faker." _"Fine, chaos control to my signature and I'll answer your questions. But, promise that you won't tell the others."_ "Fine."

* * *

Where he appeared to was in a large field of grass, a large tree not to far away. And beside the tree sat the blue hedgie himself. Shadow walked up to him, the wind blowing and causing the grass to sway to it. Blue quills lightly moved as well, a small smile on the peach lips. Emerald eyes where hidden behind cobalt eyelids, a serene look on his face. The clothes he wore, a pastel blue and jeans, hung loosely against him, swaying to the wind as well.

Shadow froze a few feet away, that feeling coming back as he watched the other. He couldn't help but stare, knowing that the hedgie being still like this was a rarity. And a gift.

The blue hedgie looked back to see the black and red, that smile falling as he knew the questions would start. He sighed and looked back at the horizon, "go ahead and ask. I know I atleast owe you an explanation." That snapped the older hegie out of his daze and helightly growled, crossing his arms. "At Least you know that."

He leaned against the tree, trying to organize his thoughts and decide which question should be asked first. "Why? Why didn't you tell anyone, or me? Especially now?"

He watched as the other sighed and pulled his knees close to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and leaning his head on his knees. "I thought that we would be done with Eggman by now, especially since when I turn eighteen, I'll have to take the crown. I never wanted to tell, not in the first place. I mean, "he sighed and sat up to look back at him, "do you see me as a king or as a hero?"

Shadow scoffed, "neither really." That earned a small smile, "neither do I." He sighed and turned back around, "I just wanted to be like my dad and mom. To be a farmer and take care of the crops we had, maybe get some animals as well. Then Robotnik started searching for people to roboticise and he took my mom and dad. That's when I started t fight back, when I learned of my origins and my bloodline."

He layed his head back on his knees, "I never wanted this. And it hurts when I have to lie to you guys, but it's best you didn't know than worry that my place on the throne would overrule my morality."

This side, this worried, anxious side of the usual calm and collected hero was new, and threw the agent for a loop. Never had he thought the other would be hiding so much, carrying so much weight on his shoulders. And for what, because he worried what his friends thought of him? Because he worried what the world would think of him?

Shadow sighed and sat next to him, leaning back on his hands. "You do realize that I don't give a shit about that. Right?" That earned a small scoff and smile from the blue hedgie, "yeah. But, the world's not like you, Shadow." And the smile fell, "they want someone who can get knocked down and get right back up. Someone who's brash and, yet, can think of a plan on the fly. They need a hero to look up to, and a king to guide them. I mean," he sighed and sat up.

"How am I supposed to do that? I've been fighting my whole life, lead two different teams into battle, watched as many of my comrades fell and never got back up, but I still stand up because the world needs me. My friends need me to be strong, someone to lean onto when they can't stand. The world needs me to guard and protect them when they can't do that themselves. My teams needed someone who was a god, someone who could be invincible so they thought they were as well. How am I supposed to switch from protecting the world to ruling it when I can hardly tell you who the heck I really am?"

He could feel a small tear fall as he finally let go, and let the thoughts in his head flow out of his mouth. Once he caught his breath, he froze and looked at the other. Uncertainty shown bright in his emeralds, uncertainty of what the other would think.

Shadow, however, didn't know what to think. The hedgehog that he name his rival, his fake, truly was a fake. He lied as his life about who he truly was, how he never wanted to be what he was forced to be. And yet, he still has to stay in this mold, or be forced into another one. Along with the fact that he still has to worry about Eggman and the war the Black Arms are wanting to ensue. Add any mental scarring and we've got a mentally unstable, chaos wielding, hero of Mobius with the weight of the world on his shoulders. At any moment, he could snap and another 'Fleetway' incident might ensue.

"Why did you tell me that? I asked why did you lie and not tell me, not all of the issues you have weighing on your shoulders." The blue hedgie scoffed, "the issues are the reasons. That and I didn't know if you'd kill me if I told you that I'm the lost prince you might have to marry in three months." That earned a snort from the older hedgie, "you've got a point. I probably wouldn't have believed you back then, but now." He sighed and looked towards the sunset, "I'm wondering how you could keep that a secret for so long and not break."

"it does help that Knuckles knows, just not all of it. He met me when I was around five, along with Sonia and Manic. Then he left, I had a fight with my sibs, destroyed the base, then left myself. They found mom while I started helping Sally and the Resistance, and after another issue, I destroyed the second base he had. After that, me, Tails and Knuckles went off the grid. I took that time to teach Tails some stuff and help Knuckles understand what was happening ground-level while he was up on the island. Then Eggman came and it's just another cycle."

He sighed and leaned against the tree, "sometimes I wish those two never came to Mobius. But, then I'd be stuck as a prince, never got to see the world, meet so many new people and go on so many adventures." He gained a soft smile as he looked at Shadow, "people I consider friends and family. Or people who can actually give me a run for my money."

Shadow smirked at that, "so you see me as competition?" Sonic shrugged his shoulders and sat up, stretching one leg out, "sort of. I see Knuckles as competition when we fight because he can rival me in strength, but I also see him as a close friend because of what all we went through. I see Eggman as my enemy, but also as the only other father-figure I've ever had. He's taught me things that I needed to know, even if he doesn't know it."

"Then, what do you see me as?" That made him think, and he looked down at the grass beside him. He started playing with it, "I don't know. I see you as my rival, because you rival me in strength and speed, but I also see you as something else because of these moments we have. Where we don't fight and get along, but on a different perspective than friends." 

The two fell into silence after that, Sonic trying to solve the enigma of his feelings towards his rival while Shadow was trying to solve the enigma that is Sonic. Neither knew what to do, what to say. So, they just sat there, letting the wind be the background noise to soothe them.

When the sun went down was when the two decided to leave. The blue hedgie lightly shivered, rubbing his arms to try and warm himself. He sighed and looked at the stars, "I might have to follow Scorpio home." Black ears perked up, "Scorpio? The constellations are the same here as on Earth?"

The blue hedgie lightlymiled, "not exactly. In my travels on Earth, I learned of every constellation and started trying to find matching ones here." And that set off another conversation, one about the many constellations of Mobius and the stories behind them. It was midnight when the blue hedgie had passed out, leaning against his rival.

The two where sitting against the tree, Shadow listening to each story and searching for the constellation it connected to. He noticed when the other seemed to relax against him and teeter off into the land of dreams.

He looked over at the hedgie, seeing him calm and relaxed. Genuinely relaxed. Shadow had learned that when a hedgie is asleep, completely relaxed, their quills will soften, like stiff silk. At times, back on the Ark, he'd wake up to Maria playing with his quills. He never stopped her, especially since it fascinated him as well. However, he's never had the chance to see if it was true.

As carefully as he could, his gloved hand reached up and felt against the others quills. He lightly smiled, slowly intertwining his fingers through the quills. It did feel like silk, not stiff at all. And with the moon reflecting off of them made them shine like real lapis. _Lapis, I like that. My little Lapis_.

He froze at that thought, _wait. MY?! What the hell am I thinking?!_ He froze when the other seemed to notice his body heat and moved closer, nuzzling closer to the black and red hedgie. He lifted his arm as the other nuzzled into his side, curling closer to him. Hesitantly, the same black arm slowly wrapped around the sleeping hedgie, earning a small smile and a nuzzle.

That small smile returned, _well. He doesn't really have to know what I think. So, my little lapis. Sleep well._


	4. White rose, Lapis.

He awoke in the same spot he fell asleep at, leaning against the tree and curled up against his rival. Said rival, was already awake. Well, judging by how one of his hands was raking through his quills, occasionally rubbing his ear. _Maybe, he won't notice that I'm awake?_

"I know you're awake, Lapis. You're quills aren't soft like they are when you were asleep." The blue hedgie sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes as he yawned, "so that's why Tails likes to mess with my quills in my sleep?" Shadow nodded and then the other noticed the change in nicknames. "Wait, Lapis?

Emerald eyes looked towards the older hedgie, "my new nickname is a gem?" The other shrugged his shoulders, "matches your quill color. It only makes more sense instead of Faker since that's more truth than endearment."

The blue hedgie froze as the words where comprehended in his head, "so... Yo find my quill color to be endearing?" the other lightly shrugged his shoulders, "I find you yourself to be endearing." Red eyes glanced at him with a small smirk, "why do you ask?"

This earned a dark blush from the blue hedgie, causing him to look away and fiddle with the grass beside his leg. "N-no reason." Shadow could tell that Lapis was blushing because of the reason behind the new nickname, so he leaned back with a smug smirk on his face. The two relaxed against the tree, feeling the sun rise behind and warm them. It was a calming sight to see, the sky changing from the dark blues and blacks to bright blues and light yellows.

Lapis hesitated, then slowly leaned back into the spot he resided in, up against the black hedgie sitting beside him. The other didn't seem to be bothered by it, only shifting a little to relax better against the tree with the blue hedgie beside him. The two relaxed against the tree, neither bothering to leave. 

The wind brushed against the leaves and grass, causing them to move as well. A few leaves fell, flowing with the wind. A calming scene indeed.

As careful as could be possible , a black and red striped arm slipped around the blue hedgie and relaxed on his side. Lapis glanced at the hand on his arm, but just ignored it and leaned his head against the others shoulder.

~~

It was only a few hours later that the two finally decided to leave the serene place. "Do you want to run back or me to Chaos Control you back?" The blue hedgie looked up at the other, confusion etched on his face since he never expected him to ask a question like that. "what?"

Shadow sighed and rephrased the question, "Do you want to run back to the palace or for me to teleport you back?" Lapis hesitated, then looked towards the way he came from, "it's best I run back. If you take me back, we'll both be bombarded with questions and I honestly don't think you'd like that right now." Shadow nodded, "you sure?" Lapis nodded, "yeah. Beside's, I'll be seeing you later with the rest of the team."

The older nodded, and the two went their separate ways. However, both knew something seemed to change between them. Something neither fully understood. But that didn't meant that they didn't enjoy the change. Not in the slightest.

* * *

The days passed quickly, yet slowly as well. For the group, the days where quick and it should be since they all had questions to ask. For Sonic, however, the days seemed to drag on until the day before the celebratory weekend . He had asked them all to meet a day before so that their would be enough time to ask questions and for them to be answered.

He awoke early, went on a morning run but didn't eat. His stomach was in knots, unsure of what to say to them. He knows that Tails will jump on his case for not eating, Amy for 'missing the mandatory dates' she wanted him to go on, and Knuckles for finally spilling the beans about his past. The rest, for keeping such a big secret from them for so long. Before he was able to go on another run, he received a text from his adoptive brother, telling him that everyone was outside. He took a breath, slipped off his crown, necklace and cape his mother 'demanded' he wear whenever he was inside the castle and changed from the formal garment he had to wear to some jogging pants and a loose long sleeved shirt. The wounds he gained healed a good bit, but not enough for him to be comfortable with showing. 

He hesitated then rushed out the front gates to meet the group with a smile. Once he was in eyesight, Tails seemed to notice him first, running up and diving on him in a hug. The two fell back, with Sonic nuzzling the kit as the younger didn't seem ready to let go one bit. It was then that the others took notice as well, looking up and some smiling at the scene of the two brothers. The guards at the front saw the reaction but only decided to watch as it didn't seem his life was in danger.

The blue hedgie sat up, with the kit still holding on, and started to slide down the stairs until he was close enough to the group. Amy was the next one to run up to him, also dive-bombing him and holding onto his neck instead of his chest like Tails. She finally settled on sitting behind him, on her legs, and laxing her hold on his neck enough for him to breath and talk. After her, was Knuckles.

He slowly walked up to him, a stern look on his face as he stopped with one foot on the step the hedgie was sitting on and the other on the step below. He looked down at him, dark violets giving him a sharp glare. The blue hedgie looked up and gave a hesitant smile. He was slapped upside the head, with a sharp tsk following. Then the echidna sat down beside him and pulled him into a nuggy, smirking as the other seemed to enjoy it but tried to get out of his grip anyways. 

This earned a few giggles from the girls while the other boys only smirked at the brotherly love shown. Once things seemed to settle down, the blue hedgie looked up at the rest of the group. He could tell there was one question they all wanted answered. Just a confirmation on what some believed. He sighed and looked down, slowly petting the orange furred tails. In a voice loud enough to be heard but soft enough to surprise most of the group, he spoke.

"I-I'm the missing prince."

~~

The group was lead into the castle by the prince, into a large room filled with pillows and chairs, bookcases against the wall with many different genres. Those included the Sonic team, Team dark of Shadow and Rouge, Team Rose of Amy and Cream, along with Cheese and Vanilla, Team Chaotix with Vector, Espio, and Charmy. Along with some from the Resistance, including Princess Sally, Rotor, Bunnie Rabbot and Antoine D'Coolette. The group sat in their own separate teams, Sonic's near the front, Amy's in the corner closest, Dark in the following corner, Chaotix in another corner and Sally's in the last corner.

Before any questions could be asked, there was a knock at the door. The door opened to show the royal twins, both looking confused as the room was rarely used. When they spotted their brother, they closed the door and slipped behind him. The three then start a whisper argument, before the two stood up and waved at the group. Then, they left.

Tails looked up at him, "what was that about?" He sighed and leaned against the pillow, "stuff that mom wants me to do." This confused a good bit of them, expect three. He noticed the confused stares and sighed, sitting up and looking down.

"My mom wants me to take the throne on my Eighteenth, which is in a few months. However, that's only one of the reasons why I outed myself." He glanced at the black hedgie, red eyes catching his own emerald. The two gave a slight nod and the blue hedgie took a breath, "I know that you guys probably heard of the 'incident' a few weeks ago, with me disappearing for a few days. At the time, I was captured, tortured and held by the Black Arms in order to gain Shadow's attention and get him to meet his up with his 'dad'. He agreed to go up and get me back, however, he was also told of how they wanted to wage war with us."

He took another breath, "he took me home and a week later, visited to get my help to find a loophole." He hesitated, unsure if he should say what they found or not. A light nuzzle from the kitsune urged him on, "we found one loophole so far. There monarchy is much like our own, almost down to a T. The only loophole we found was combining their monarchy with ours due to the fact that Shadow is next in line for the throne of the Black Arms."

He just let that sit, silence filling the air. Rouge and Sally where the first two to realize what that meant, releasing a silent 'oh'. Then, realization started to set in. Along with worried confusion, and slightly disgusted confusion. The groups then started talking between themselves as a butler knocked and asked for Sonic. The blue hedgie nodded, moved Tails off his lap and gave Knuckles permission to explain his past if he doesn't return in time.

The hedgie closed the door behind him, "I know that I'm not in the correct attire but I wanted to wear something normal instead of it because of the fact that I have to explain what was going on." The head butler. Darien, only nodded, "your mother only wishes to confirm the marital agreement with the Black Arms themselves, along with said prince." Sonic sighed, "I'll get back to that as soon as possible. Is there anything else?"

Another nod, "the queen also says that your friends can stay for dinner and the night if none have any reservations at the local inns or hotels." Sonic lightly smiled, "thanks for letting me know. I'll pass along the information and will, probably, have an answer on the marital agreement tomorrow or the next day." Darien nodded and left, leaving the blue hedgie alone with his thoats on how his friends will react.

He turned back to the door and carefully peaked in, seeing most of them listening to Knux on the real story of how they met. It brought a small smile to his face, remembering the good times he had. Crimson red caught emerald and Sonic nudged his head for Shadow to meet him outside. This earned a nod and a silent chaos control, the black and red hedgie appearing right beside him. Sonic closed the door and leaned against it, "we need to talk to Black Doom. Soon." 

Shadow scoffed and crossed his arms, "why?"This earned a tired sigh as Lapis crossed his arms and looked away, "my mom wants confirmation of the marital agreement from him and you. Then, she'll start planning the wedding and such." The black and red hedgie only scoffed, "is a wedding really necessary though? People can just go to a court and get married their."

Sonic stood up in defence, "do you even know how important this could be? Or how important a wedding is to begin with?" The other sneered to show a fang, "I was raised in space with little knowledge on Mobiun culture, Hedgehog. Everything I know I learned from work, the humans who took care of me, or from my own studies." Lapis backed down after hearing that, "well. I guess that makes sense."

He nudged his head down the hall and started walking, expecting the other to follow. He did. "Here, a wedding basically marks the occasion, let's other sutures know both are now off the market and celebrates the date as well. A royal wedding, however, gets blown out of proportion. _This_ wedding," he lightly chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "the whole world will know in an instant and every pompous, rich. pig-headed person will try to get in," Shadow nodded, "so. Weddings are a big deal because of the effects it has on everyone else. And royal weddings are not even confidential?"

Sonic shook his head, "no. I'll probably talk my mom into splitting the venue, so we could go between being surrounded by pig-heads and our actual friends. Sonia and Manic will take care of the smaller one while mom can blow the other out of proportion. The ceremony, however, will be shown live on tv with your people on your side and our Mobian friends on mine to show that two different monarchies are being combined to form one." Shadow nodded at that, "when the hell did you learn all of this?"

The blue hedgie lightly chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "my mom already wanted to get started so she already decided on the place and such. It would take place in the royal garden out back, enough space for everything and the reception will be inside the castle. The separate reception will be inside the dining hall, but the main table will be taken apart and moved. Trust me, she's always wanted to plan a wedding so could we let her plan the main reception?" Emerald looked at crimson for conformation, giving him his most innocent 'puppy eyes' he could. Even if it took Shadow's breath away, he wouldn't let it show.

He looked away and tsked, "why should I care? I only see this as a way to protect this planet from any more future attacks Doom may have planned." He then looked ahead, not noticing the slightly dejected look Lapis had. "Where are we going anyways?" Sonic sighed, "just thought it would be good to walk. You never liked crowds and I hate small spaces, so a walk seemed like a good idea to keep you calm instead of elbowing anyone that would've pushed you by accident." The two reached the back exit before Shadow could speak, the two heading outside and into the palace gardens.

"We are a democratic monarchy, where we do have some power, but we listen to the people and use them as our basis of what would be best. The thing is, it's always been like this and it doesn't work at times so we have a condition in our rules that states that we can ignore the people for the greater good. We don't use it much, but it is there. As next in line, I've had to learn all the laws and regulations of the kingdom." He sat on a bench near a rose bush, giving Shadow enough space. "This also means that I know of our marital laws and me and mom have already come up with a waiver in order to keep peace between us and the Black Arms, taking effect one the marriage is over and the reception starts. It has to be signed by Black Doom and initialed by you and me since mom already signed her half. I haven't initialed yet because I'd have to put two different initials and it would be best to wait until you and Doom understood before then."

Shadow nodded, soaking the information in like a sponge. "Once the agreement is signed and the wedding done, there's no way out except if the marriage is invalid or one of the kingdom's break a rule. The issue is that the rules are easy to understand and follow; neither can attack or demand anything, we exchange instead. They have information and technology that would help us while we have renewable resources they don't have and can get easily here without blood shed." The black and red hedgie nodded, "so the document is ready?" Sonic nodded, "mom wants to know when I can get Doom's signature and agreement on the marriage, and she'll allow me to bring it with but she'll have a copy in case anything happens to the original."

Shadow nodded, "and when are you wanted to go?" Lapis shrugged his shoulders and leaned back, "anytime really. But, we need it soon since one of the clauses makes it impossible for him to attack during the time slot between now and the wedding. It would give us more time to look for another loophole and worry about Eggman instead of impending doom." 

It went quiet as the two sat in the garden, a guard stationed at the entrance and a gardener trimming the grass and checking for weeds. Shadow looked between the blue hedgie and and his hand on the seat. Shadow knew that Lapis enjoyed the quiet moments they have, since it's always quiet and serene. Maybe, he wouldn't notice. As carefully as he could, his gloved hand slipped across and was placed on top of the others hand. He then carefully curled his hand around the others, leaning back and looking over at the rose bush beside him.

Emerald eyes looked down to his hand when he felt it being held. He followed the hand up to see Shadow looking at the other rose bush, a rose bloomed and beside his nose. Lapis lightly smiled and squeezed the others hand, leaning back and reaching for a rose to sniff. This gained a small smile from the other hedgie, and he spotted a rare whit rose on the bush. He reached over and picked it off, giving it a sniff. It was sweet scent, almost familiar.

He looked over to the hedgie, spotting that he wasn't looking at him. This gave him an idea and he carefully placed the rose at the blue ones ear. The ear flickered, but the rose stayed on, this, however, gaining the blue hedgie's attention. Emerald eyes watched as Shadow's hand moved back. He let go of Shadow's hand and reached up to pick the object off his ear, looking at the white rose now in his hands.

He lightly smiled and allowed Shadow to put it back, then Lapis scooted closer to the black and red hedgie. Shadow shifted as the other leaned against him, his own arm relaxing against the top of the

bench. A soft wind blew and Shadow caught wind of Lapis' sent and the rose, however, now he realized why the rose smelled so familiar. It matched the other's scent, almost perfectly.

"Sonic?" The two perked up and Sonic scooted over, Shadow removing his arm as Sonia walked up to the two. She had a small, knowing smile. "Manic wants to know the color scheme you want for the small venue. I said that it should be black and blue, but he thinks it should be red and green."  
Emerald looked over at Ruby, Shadow only giving a soft shrug of his shoulders.

"It's best to wait until the agreement is signed, okay?" She sighed and crossed her arms, "you have a choice. My color scheme or his? And no backing out M, like you have for the past week. If you don't answer, well ask your friends on their take." Lapis' sighed, "fine. Black and blue, it'll match with the fact that the Black Arms are mainly dark colors and we stick with light colors."

Sonia nodded, "good. I'll let him know." She then went up and whispered in his ear, "you picked a hot guy btw." Shadow didn't hear what she said, but he did see the dark blush forming on Lapis' cheeks, along with the glare he sent his sister.

She only giggled and left, giving a small wave towards Shadow. Shadow looked towards Lapis, "what did she mean by M?" Blue ear twitched and he looked down, "it's um I-It's my middle name."

"And what did she say to make you blush?" Lapis' bit his bottom lip and the blush returned. "Sh-she um."

He cleared his throat, "she said that you were." He bit his bottom lip, "h-hot."

The way he said it caused Shadow to lightly snort, trying not to laugh. However, this gave him an idea and he smirked, wrapping his arm around Lapis' shoulder. "Do you think that I'm 'hot' as your sister put it?"

How peach cheeks turned to rosy red in seconds gave him his answer, but he wanted to hear it. Lapis started messing with his fingers, "w-well. " He bit his bottom lip and tried not to look up at red eyes, the blush only growing darker.

Shadow couldn't help it and starts to chuckle, turning into a full laugh as the blush darkened. "W-why did you put the flower by my ear?" Red looked between the blushing hedgie and the white rose as he regained his breath.

A small smile, "you smell just like it." A blue ear fell as emeralds looked up to meet rubies, "like a flower?" The other lightly shook his head as he carefully ran his hand across a peach cheek, "a white rose, Lapis."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, finally got internet here.


	5. The Crow and the Butterfly

He didn't want to move, not because he was comfortable. In all honesty, sitting on a bench chair for an hour or two was not Shadow's idea of comfortable. 

No, he didn't want to move because of the being sleeping beside, and halfway, on him. The blue hedgie had nodded off not long ago, maybe twenty minutes. But Shadow didn't dare wake the other up. Especially since this was, once again, another one of their moments. The quiet before the storm and the peace after. Along with that, he didn't want to head back to the group.

Chaos only knows what they would say if they spotted the two walking together, one half asleep while the other was more relaxed than ever. That would definitely raise some questions.

He knew neither would want to answer any, and that itself would only raise more questions. It would be a never ending cycle until someone decided to give up. And everyone was stubborn for one reason or another. Especially if the twins decided to join in pestering the two. So, he decided that staying would be best.

Besides, from what Shadow's heard, there would be a festival tomorrow and Sonic would need his rest. A guard walked by, as if checking on the two. He gave Shadow a wary eye, Shadow's hands going up as if saying 'I'm not doing anything to him'.

It was another twenty minutes later that the blue hedgie started to awake, yawning and nuzzling into Shadow's chest fur. It was only when he realised who he was nuzzled into that he jumped back and rubbed the back of his neck, eyes closed and a hesitant smile on his face. "S-sorry about that.

"I don't usually pass out on anyone." He then looked down and tried to make himself small, as if expecting to be hit. His ears fell down as well, waiting. "I don't see why you should be sorry, you need your rest for tomorrow."

Blue ears perked up, "uh. Right, tomorrow. The celebration." He then looked towards the bush across from them, "we also need to let Back Doom know of the agreement." Shadow nodded and stood up, stretching. "When do you want to head up then?"

Emerald eyes looked up at him, confused for a moment before he lightly smiled, "I need to get the paper first. We can go whenever you want to." Shadow shrugged, "best to get it over with. One less thing to worry about, and one step closer to getting past this."

He then held a hand out for the other, surprising the blue hedgie. Tan lips lightly smirked, "is it wrong for me to want to help you up Lapis?" Peach cheeks darkened with a blush as he hesitantly gave Shadow his hand, allowing the other to help him up. And good thing, too.

His legs nearly gave out underneath him, black and red striped arms caught him before he fell. The blush darkened as his own hands grabbed to his arms, "s-sorry. My legs fell asleep." 

He gave a hesitant smile, trying to get his legs moving. Shadow lightly scoffed but the smirk fell to a small smile, "not surprising. Mine nearly did so as well." He then strengthened his grip, pulling the other closer to him. "Do you want me to carry you back or will your legs hold?"

Now blue ears were testing how red they could get, "I-I um I think my legs a-are good." Red eyes met emeralds, "are you sure?" A small nod was his answer. Shadow gave a soft sigh, "fine." 

He released most of his hold but kept one arm wrapped around the blue waist as a precaution, leading the hedgie back the way they came. The blush died but Sonic didn't dare look up at the other, especially not with the other's arms around him.

They walked in a comfortable silence, passing guards who gave weary glances until Sonic gave them a soft smile, showing that he was okay. Things were fine, especially when he relaxed into the older hedgie's hold, placing a hand on the others and leaning his head on a dark fired shoulder. He gave a soft sigh and lightly smiled, eyes half lidded as the two walked. Shadow never thought he could feel like this, but this one person, the one he claimed as his fake, his rival in all things, was worming his way past the locks and walls he built around him.

He was breaking past the protection he created from years of being alone. In one simple move, he was thawing Shadow's frozen heart and giving him a reason to smile. 

The two separated when spotted by the kitsune, having left to go to the bathroom but got lost. He ran up to the two, tails lightly waving as he moved. Instead of stopping in front of the two, he hugged his brother around his midsection. And it seemed as if the blue hedgie was just as surprised as the biohog. 

And it was when they heard the kitsune sniffle that Sonic sighed. He carefully knelt down to face the youngest, placing his hands on orange ones shoulders. The kitsune slowly looked up, tears ready to fall. Shadow stepped back to watch, giving the two space.

Tails looked ready to burst into tears, but the small smile given from his older brother was enough to help him stay strong. His baby blues looked towards the ground as he messed with one of his tails, "so. You'll have to marry Shadow?" The blue hedgie nodded, "yeah." The kitsune bit his bottom lip, "a-and you'll have to move here?"

It was then that Sonic knew what was bugging his baby bro so badly. He carefully pulled the other into a soft hug, "and you'll be coming with. I'll have a new workspace set up for you but we can keep the house as a summer home, a place we can go to if we need a little time away." He lightly nuzzled the fox' head, "when i took you in, I ment it when I said I'd take care of you. You are my responsibility, always and forever."

The kitsune looked up for his baby blues to meet shining emeralds, "forever and a day." The older lightly smiled, "yeah. Forever and a day," he ran a hand lovingly through orange bangs. Then picked up the kitsune and held him close, glancing over at Shadow.

Curiosity got the better of the biohog and he listened to there conversation. He leaned against a pillar and folded his arms, glancing back at the two when the blue hedgie looked at him. In all honesty, watching how the two reached to each other, it reminded him of his time with Maria. Anytime he would run up to her, close to tears, she would call him down, give him the courage to explain and listened. He saw a bit of Maria in Lapis, and a bit of himself in the kitsune, both having relied on an older sibling for comfort.

Sonic held his baby brother against him and lightly smiled at Shadow, "come on. We got things to do and it's best we check up on everyone else as well " One thought ran through Shadow's head, _oh brother_.

* * *

He was right to think so, all three having to survive an array of questions until the royal twins finally took over, long enough for the two hedgie's to slip away. Sonic gave a nervous chuckle, "sorry about that. I was hoping that they didn't have so many questions, but it's probably best to get used to it for tomorrow."

He perked up , "we also need to get the agreement as well." A quick flash of blue and the hedge was back in front of the biohog with a light tan piece of parchment, the agreement that needs to be signed by tree others.

"Does he sign the same way we do or will he have to do the drop of blood thing?" Shadow only shrugged his shoulders, "not sure. Are you ready to go?" A simple nod and the two dissapeared from the planet, up to the alien armada above the atmosphere.


End file.
